Knock down basket



April 5, 1966 M. A. suTA 3,244,351

KNOCK DOWN BASKET Filed July 20, 1964 Inventor MIROSLAV A. SUTA by: Mam.

United States Patent 7 3,244,351 KNOCK DOWN EASKET Miroslav' Antonin Suta, Burlington, Ontario, Canada;

Walter J. Heston, trustee in bankruptcy for the estate of said Mirosiav Antonin Suta, assignor to Edgar George Thomas, Clarkson, Ontario, Canada Filed July 20, 1964, Ser. No. 383,570 8 Claims. (Cl. 22931) The invention relates to a knock down basket of paper or like material.

Conventional six quart fruit and vegetable baskets are usually made of chips or shavings of wood stapled together into a rigid basket construction. This basket construction is relatively expensive, and is of a highly inconvenient shape for shipping purposes, having rounded ends and an upstanding central handle, and is either diflicult or impossible to mark or print in any but the most elementary fashion, thus rendering up to date advertising or little or no utility. However, such wooden baskets have the merit of withstanding severe usage and may be reused several times, subject to the cost of shipping the baskets back to the orchard or farm involving a relatively wasteful employment of shipping space.

Alternative forms of fruit baskets made of paper, fibre board and cardboard and the like materials have been proposed which in some cases are cheaper to manufacture and produce initially, but which have usually been found to either have a useful life of only one or two journeys or alternatively, to be excessively complex in construction and require the use of heavy gauge materials. In addition, the majority of such alternative proposals have involved the use of staples or some other form of fastening device, whereby the baskets could be shipped as flat blanks to the orchard or farm where they would then be set up and fastened prior to filling and shipping.

. Obviously, where such baskets were returned for reuse,

they could not be knocked down to the original flat form of the blank without destroying the carton and as a result they required substantially wasteful use of shipping space.

Accordingly, it is an objective of this invention to provide a knock down basket of paper or like material which may be shipped as a flat sheet, which may be assembled prior to use, without the use of any fastening devices whatever, and which may be subsequently knocked down and shipped back for further use in the original fiat condition.

More particularly it is an objective of the present invention to provide a knock down basket having the foregoing advantages which is provided with substantial areas of flat outwardly directed surfaces adapted for the reception of advertising material.

More particularly it is an objective of the present invention to provide a knock down basket having the foregoing advantages which is provided with carrying handles which may be folded down over the contents of the basket to facilitate stacking of baskets when shipping in the loaded condition.

More particularly it is an objective of the present invention to provide a knock down basket having the foregoing advantages which is of rectangular shape facilitating stacking and shipping with the maximum utilization of shipping and storage space and assisting in the provision of a stable stack.

The following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is here made by way of example only, refers to the following drawings in which like reference devices refer to like parts thereof throughout the following various views and diagrams and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a basket according to the present invention in its set up position ready for filling with fruit or the like,

3,244,351 Patented Apr. 5, 1966 FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the basket shown in FIGURE 1 in a partially set up condition.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a paper blank scored and cut to provide the basket of FIGURES 1 and 2, and,

FIGURE 4 is a greatly enlarged perspective of the detail of FIGURE 2 contained within the phantomed circle IV.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 it will be seen that the basket according to this preferred embodiment of the invention in the set up conditon comprises an open topped, substantially rectangular box-like construction having side walls It) and 11, and end walls 12 and 13 and upstanding handles 14 and 15 constituting respective upward extensions of side walls 10 and 11, wherein respective hand holds 14' and 15 are die-cut in order to permit a person to grab handles 14 and 15 and hold them together in one hand for carrying. A flooring portion is also provided for the instant basket which is not shown in the illustration of FIGURE 1 but will be described in detail with reference to FIGURES 2 and 3.

At each of the corners of the instant basket inwardly turned gussets 16 and 17 are formed of triangular shape, comprising the surplus material between end walls 12 and 13 and adjacent side walls 10 and 11 respectively, the features being shown only in phantom form in FIG- URE 1 being described with more detail with reference to FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, inwardly folded side flaps 18 and 19 lying on the interior of the instant basket, folded against respective side walls 10 and 11 and serve to lock gusset portions 16 and 17 in position, and prevent inward flexing of end walls 12 and 13. The floor of the instant basket is provided by floor sections 20 and 21, not shown in FIGURE 1, and constituting endwise extensions respectively of side flaps 18 and 19 and being retained in position by centre panel 22 extending between the lower edges of respective side walls 10 and 11.

The paper blank for forming the basket shown in FIG- URE 1 is illustrated in FIGURE 3 and will be seen to comprise a substantially rectangular sheet divided into distinct strips across its width by a series of parallel score lines. For the sake of this description, the individual panels will be given the letter references a, b, c, d, e, f and g, from left to right of FIGURE 3 as shown, and the portions of such panels a to g providing specific features of the set-up basket of FIGURE 1 will be referred to by reference numerals, with a view to clarifying the description.

Thus, the respective side walls 10 and 11 of the set-up basket of FIGURE 1 will be seen to comprise the major portions of respective panels e and 0, end walls 12 and 13 are formed of the opposite ends of panels d and handles 14 and 15 are cut out of the centre portions of respective panels f and b.

Gusset portions 16 are formed from the corners of panel e and gusset portions 17 are formed from corners of panel 0, being separated from the remainders of their respective panels, comprising side walls 10 and 11, by die-cutting along the lines x. Diagonal score lines formed in respective panels e and c permit the inwardly folding of gussets 16 and 17. As described below side panels 18 and 19 are formed from respective end portions of panels 7 and b, being separated from handles 14 and 15 by die-cutting along the lines y. Floor portions 20 and 21 are formed from respective panels g and a and centre panel 22 is formed from the central portion of panel d defined between the die-cutting lines x. I

In order to assemble the blank and set it up into the form of a basket end walls 12 and 13 are folded vertically upwardly, thus bringing gusset portions 16 and 17 up into a substantially vertical orientation, but swung inwardly at an angle relative to the plane of walls 12 and 13. Side walls 10 and 11 are then folded upwardly towards one another into. a substantially vertical position thus causing gussets 16 and 17 to swing further inwardly until they are substantially normal to the plane of respective end walls 12 and 13. Side flaps 18 and 19 are then folded over the tops of respective side walls 1t) and 11, with side flaps 19 preferably being somewhat in advance of side flaps 18 substantially as shown in FIGURE 2. As side flaps 19 are pressed downwardly between end walls 12 and 13 handle 15 will become separated therefrom and will stand substantially vertically upwardly due to the die-cutting y. In addition, floor portion 21 will become folded at an angle relative to side flaps 19, due to contact thereof with floor portion 22 and as side flaps 19 are pressed home against side wall 11 and gusset 1'7, floor portion 21 will adopt a position substantially normal to the plane of flaps 19 and lying fiat against floor portion 22, oriented towards the interior of the basket. Side flaps 18 will then be folded downwardly in precisely the same way and floor portion 22 extending therefrom will become folded relative thereto in the same way as floor portion 21 already described thus substantially completing a composite flooring section composed of floor portions and 21 retained in position by floor portion 22. In this position, it will be noted that gussets 16 are locked in position between side flaps 18 and side wall 19 and that gussets 17 are locked in position between side flaps 19 and side wall 11, and that end walls 12 and 13 are firmly locked against inward flexing by means of engagement with respective edges of side flaps 18 and 19. Outward flexing of end walls 12 and 13 is prevented by the interlocking engagement of gussets 16 and 17, and a rigid basket structure thereby achieved. Handles 14 and 15 will be normally upstanding from side walls 10 and 11 due to the inherent stiffness provided by the material, but may readily be folded inwardly one over the other for stacking and storage.

For ease of folding, some or all of the score lines may be additionally defined by means of short die-cut slits formed therein in known manner, such slits being discontinuous to avoid separation of the various portions of the blank along such score lines.

Dismounting or knocking down of the instant basket can readily be achieved by merely lifting floor portion 20 upwardly from the interior of the basket and folding floor portion 20, side flaps 18 and side wall 10 outwardly and downwardly, followed by a precisely similar movement with respect to floor portion 21 and side flaps 19 and side wall 11. End walls 12 and 13 may then be folded inwardly and downwardly with respect to one another to achieve the original flat blank of material.

As noted, the basket is now thus both capable of being quickly set up and quickly knocked down for further shipping or storage after use and requires no fastening devices or glueing, thus enabling the baskets to be shipped as flat blanks into the actual orchard or field itself where the harvesters may themselves set the baskets up as they fill them.

The foregoing is a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention by way of example only and the invention is not limited to the specific features shown but contemplates all such variations as come within the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What I claim is:

1 A knock down basket of paper, cardboard or the like material and comprising:

opposed side wall portions extending substantially the entire length of said basket;

a floor portion extending between said side wall portions and of reduced length in relation thereto;

end wall portions formed by severing material from opposite ends of said floor portion; gusset means extending integrally between said end wall portions and said side wall portions and joined to said sidewall portions along fold lines extending from the lower corners thereof upwardly at about forty-five degrees and folded inwardly therefrom;

side flap portions constituting integral extensions of said side wall portions and folded over inwardly on said side wall portions to enclose and clamp said gusset portions therebetween;

handles formed integrally with said side wall portions from out out portions of said side flap portions and extending upwardly therefrom.

2. A knock down basket as claimed in claim 1 including at least one fioor flap portion attached to a said side flap portion and folded to overlie said fioor portion.

A knock down basket as claimed in claim 1 whereing said gusset means are formed by material cut out of said side portions.

' 4. A blank of paper cardboard or the like material for a knock down basket and comprising: a rectangular sheet of said material; score lines formed in said material parallel to one another and to one side of said rectangle and spaced apart from one another to define a series of panels in said blank; a central panel in said series of panels; cuts formed in said central panel parallel to one another and to another side of said rectangle severing opposite ends of said central panel from the intermediate portion thereof;

a first pair of panels on either side of said central panel;

substantially diagonal cuts formed in said first pair of panels, and, substantially diagonal score lines formed in said first pair of panels, said diagonal score lines extending from the corners of said central panel at about forty-five degrees to said score lines and meeting said diagonal cuts substantially at right angles;

a second pair of panels located on either side of the first pair of panels; and,

cuts formed in said second pair of panels defining handle shaped portions joined to said first pair of panels along said score lines between said first and second panels.

5. The blank as claimed in claim 4 including a third pair of panels located on either side of said second pair of panels, one panel of said third pair of panels being of reduced width in relation to the other panel of said third pair of panels.

6. The blank as claimed in claim 4 including discontinuous cuts formed along at least some of said score lines.

7. The blank as claimed in claim 4 wherein said cuts in said central panel, and said cuts in said, first pair of panels are continuous to define identical cuts at each side of said rectangle of material.

8. The blank as claimed in claim 4 including second cuts formed in said third pair of panels within said cuts of channel shaped outline.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 674,220 5/1901 Scott 22934 2,406,711 8/1946 Ringler 22941 2,690,289 9/1954 Claus et al. 22952 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner. 

1. A KNOCK DOWN BASKET OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR THE LIKE MATERIAL AND COMPRISING: OPPOSED SIDE WALL PORTIONS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID BASKET; A FLOOR PORTION EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALL PORTIONS AND TO REDUCED LENGTH IN RELATION THERETO; END WALL PORTIONS FOMRED BY SEVERING MATERIAL FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID FLOOR PORTION; GUSSET MEANS EXTENDING INTEGRALLY BETWEEN SAID END WALL PORTIONS AND SAID SIDE WALL PORTIONS AND JOINED TO SAID SIDEWALL PORTIONS ALONG FOLD LINES EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER CORNERS THEREOF UPWARDLY AT ABOUT 